Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica
The Totten Ice Shelf (TIS) and Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS), along the Sabrina Coast of Wilkes Land, are the floating seaward terminuses of the second-largest freshwater reservoir in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Being a marine ice sheet, it is vulnerable to the surrounding ocean conditions. R...
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ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:tc111635 2024-09-15T17:40:46+00:00 Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica Kusahara, Kazuya Hirano, Daisuke Fujii, Masakazu Fraser, Alexander D. Tamura, Takeshi Mizobata, Kohei Williams, Guy D. Aoki, Shigeru 2024-01-03 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-43-2024 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/43/2024/ eng eng doi:10.5194/tc-18-43-2024 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/43/2024/ eISSN: 1994-0424 Text 2024 ftcopernicus https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-43-2024 2024-08-28T05:24:15Z The Totten Ice Shelf (TIS) and Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS), along the Sabrina Coast of Wilkes Land, are the floating seaward terminuses of the second-largest freshwater reservoir in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Being a marine ice sheet, it is vulnerable to the surrounding ocean conditions. Recent comprehensive oceanographic observations, including bathymetric measurements off the Sabrina Coast, have shed light on the widespread intrusion of warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW) onto the continental shelf and the intense ice–ocean interaction beneath the TIS. However, the spatiotemporal coverage of the observation is very limited. Here, we use an ocean–sea ice–ice shelf model with updated bathymetry to better understand the regional ocean circulations and ocean–cryosphere interactions. The model successfully captured the widespread intrusions of mCDW, local sea ice production and the ocean heat and volume transports into the TIS cavity, facilitating an examination of the overturning ocean circulation within the ice shelf cavities and the resultant basal melting. We found notable differences in the temporal variability in ice shelf basal melting across the two adjacent ice shelves of the TIS and the western part of the MUIS. Ocean heat transport by mCDW controls the low-frequency interannual-to-decadal variability in ice–ocean interactions, but the sea ice production in the Dalton Polynya strongly modifies the signals, explaining the regional difference between the two ice shelves. The formation of a summertime eastward-flowing undercurrent beneath the westward-flowing Antarctic Slope Current is found to play an important role in the seasonal delivery of ocean heat to the continental shelf. Text Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Moscow University Ice Shelf Sea ice Totten Ice Shelf Wilkes Land Copernicus Publications: E-Journals The Cryosphere 18 1 43 73 |
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Open Polar |
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Copernicus Publications: E-Journals |
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ftcopernicus |
language |
English |
description |
The Totten Ice Shelf (TIS) and Moscow University Ice Shelf (MUIS), along the Sabrina Coast of Wilkes Land, are the floating seaward terminuses of the second-largest freshwater reservoir in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Being a marine ice sheet, it is vulnerable to the surrounding ocean conditions. Recent comprehensive oceanographic observations, including bathymetric measurements off the Sabrina Coast, have shed light on the widespread intrusion of warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water (mCDW) onto the continental shelf and the intense ice–ocean interaction beneath the TIS. However, the spatiotemporal coverage of the observation is very limited. Here, we use an ocean–sea ice–ice shelf model with updated bathymetry to better understand the regional ocean circulations and ocean–cryosphere interactions. The model successfully captured the widespread intrusions of mCDW, local sea ice production and the ocean heat and volume transports into the TIS cavity, facilitating an examination of the overturning ocean circulation within the ice shelf cavities and the resultant basal melting. We found notable differences in the temporal variability in ice shelf basal melting across the two adjacent ice shelves of the TIS and the western part of the MUIS. Ocean heat transport by mCDW controls the low-frequency interannual-to-decadal variability in ice–ocean interactions, but the sea ice production in the Dalton Polynya strongly modifies the signals, explaining the regional difference between the two ice shelves. The formation of a summertime eastward-flowing undercurrent beneath the westward-flowing Antarctic Slope Current is found to play an important role in the seasonal delivery of ocean heat to the continental shelf. |
format |
Text |
author |
Kusahara, Kazuya Hirano, Daisuke Fujii, Masakazu Fraser, Alexander D. Tamura, Takeshi Mizobata, Kohei Williams, Guy D. Aoki, Shigeru |
spellingShingle |
Kusahara, Kazuya Hirano, Daisuke Fujii, Masakazu Fraser, Alexander D. Tamura, Takeshi Mizobata, Kohei Williams, Guy D. Aoki, Shigeru Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica |
author_facet |
Kusahara, Kazuya Hirano, Daisuke Fujii, Masakazu Fraser, Alexander D. Tamura, Takeshi Mizobata, Kohei Williams, Guy D. Aoki, Shigeru |
author_sort |
Kusahara, Kazuya |
title |
Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica |
title_short |
Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica |
title_full |
Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica |
title_sort |
modeling seasonal-to-decadal ocean–cryosphere interactions along the sabrina coast, east antarctica |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-43-2024 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/43/2024/ |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Moscow University Ice Shelf Sea ice Totten Ice Shelf Wilkes Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica East Antarctica Ice Sheet Ice Shelf Ice Shelves Moscow University Ice Shelf Sea ice Totten Ice Shelf Wilkes Land |
op_source |
eISSN: 1994-0424 |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/tc-18-43-2024 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/18/43/2024/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-43-2024 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
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18 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
43 |
op_container_end_page |
73 |
_version_ |
1810486792110997504 |